Flames, Smoke Destroy House in Grenelefe

Thursday

Mar 7, 2013 at 4:49 PM

Winds of 15 to 20 mph helped spread a garage fire in Grenelefe Estates that eventually destroyed a home Wednes­day.

By PHIL ATTINGERLEDGER MEDIA GROUP

HAINES CITY | Winds of 15 to 20 mph helped spread a garage fire in Grenelefe Estates that eventually destroyed a home Wednes­day.Bryan Lacey, public information officer for Polk County Fire and Rescue, said the house at 7 Coventry Drive was "heavily involved" with fire when the first fire crews arrived.Craig and Wendy Marshall were able to escape before the fire engulfed their home, according to Rex Carpenter, a neighborhood blogger."That fire really moved fast," Carpenter said Thurs­day.Lacey said the fire appears to have started in the garage, but the cause is still un­known.It's under investigation by the Florida Division of the State Fire Marshal, Lacey said.Neighbors told Carpenter that it took 15 to 20 minutes for fire trucks to arrive from the Tyson Road and Sun Aire stations, but Lacey said trucks were dispatched by 4:45 p.m. and arrived at 4:55 p.m. The first call was received at 4:42 p.m., he said.Fire crews brought two fire engines, a ladder truck and an air truck to refill firefighters' oxygen tanks, Lacey said.The battalion chief and the training officer also were on scene, and fire crews cleared the scene by 7:54 p.m., he said.Carpenter said the Sun Aire Station is four miles away, while the Tyson Station — which usually serves the area — is only two miles away.Carpenter said that even if fire crews could have arrived in two minutes, they would have had a hard time saving the house.